Co-authored by Philip Lauri Wickeri and Chinese scholars, the new book History of Christianity in China (635–1949): An Inter-Cultural Perspective was published by the Social Sciences Academic Press (China) in March.
It represents a collaborative effort between Chinese and Western scholars in writing the history of Christianity in China, aiming to draw upon and integrate the research methods and achievements of the past 30 years of Sino-Western cultural studies, reported Chinese Christian Studies.
Through two parts—chronological history and thematic history—the book is dedicated to a better understanding of the sinicization of Christianity. In the 21st century, when people review the history of Christianity spreading from the West to the East from a cross-cultural perspective, they will find that it underwent a long process of adaptation in Chinese society. The sinicization of Christianity proves that China is not a closed-off country. Though conflicting with traditional Chinese culture, Christianity can take root in China, thus becoming a part of Chinese history and culture.
The book has 18 chapters, starting with Wickeri's "The Development and Evolution of World Christianity." The rest chapers also include "Christianity in China Before 1500 CE," "Christianity in the Late Ming and Early Qing Dynasties," "Rites Controversy and Catholicism During the Early and Mid-Qing Dynasty," "The New Beginning of Missionary Activities in China in the First Half of the 19th Century," and "The Dilemma and Promotion of Christianity in the Late Qing Dynasty (1860–1911)" by Tao Fei-ya.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
